Machine for placing labels on articles



Dec. 26, 1933. J. VAN RE 1,940,982

MACHINE FOR PLACING LABELS ON ARTICLES Filed Sept. 15, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR JOl- 1N VAN BU RE N WKMH ATTORNEYJ'.

MACHINE FOR PLACING LABELS ON ARTICLES Filed Sept. 15, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JOHN VAN BUREN 1933. .1. VAN BUREN MACHINE FOR PLACING LABELS 0N ARTICLES Filed Sept. 15, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 SOAP INVENTOR JOHN VAN BUREN WWW ATTORNEYS.

VIII/111142131;

Patented Dec. 26, 1933 PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR- PLACING LABELS ON ARTICLES John Van Buren, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application September 15, 1932 Serial No. 633,234

7 Claims. (Cl. 216-9) This invention relates to a machine for placing labels on articles. Y

More specifically stated the invention relates to a machine for placing labels on articles, such as cakes of soap.

The invention has for its salient object to provide a machine of the character described that is simple and practical in construction and will operate automatically to feed the cakes of soap or 19 other articles and labels and to place or impress the labels on the articles.

Further objects of the invention will appear fromthe following specification taken in connection with the drawings which form a part of this 5 application, and in which Fig. l is a top plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1; p

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevationtaken through the center of the machine atright angles to Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional elevation of one of the feeding members for feeding the cakes or 5 articles from'the receiving conveyor to a platform on which they 'receive the labels;

' Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the reciprocatable feeding member or plunger positioned to feed the article; 7 i

broken away of 0 Fig. 6 is a top plan view the label hopper and plunger for depressing. the

labels;

Fig; 7 is a sectional 35 ber, hopper and plunger;'and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of thearticle or cake of soap with the label or-tag impressed therein.

The invention briefly described consists'of a machine comprising means for feeding the articles 40 to be labeled, such, as cakes of soap,means for positioning the cakes in position to receive the labels, means'for feeding the labels one at a time to a position adjacent or above the articles and means for placing the labels on the articles" 7 45 or impressing the labels.

Further details of the invention will appear from the following description.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings there are shown two com- 50 plete sets of mechanisms A and B for feeding the articles, feeding the labels and impressing the labels on the articles. Since both sets ofmechanisms are exactly alike and operate in the same manner a description of the construction and 55 operation of one of the sets will suffice.

elevation taken at right; angles to Fig. 6 showing the label feeding mem The machine illustrated in the drawings comprises a frame mounted on a table 10 which supports pedestals 11. A shaft 12 is rotatably mounted in the frame members or pedestals l1 and has secured thereto pulleys 13, 14, 15 and 16. The pulleys 13 and 16 are disposed at the dis; charge ends of feeding belts 17 by which the articles, such as cakes of soap, are fed into the machine. The pulleys 14 and 15 support the receiving ends of the discharge belts' 18 which receive the labeled articles and discharge them. from the machine. The shaft 12 is driven continuously by any suitable driving connections, not shown. I

Adjacent the discharge end of each of the belts 16 there is disposeda supporting table 20 which receives the articles discharged from the belts and supports them as the labels are impressed thereon.

The articles are intermittently discharged from the feeding belts 1'7 by reciprocatable pivoted plungers 23, shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5. Each of the plungers 23 is pivoted at 24 to a slide 25. A lug or arm 26 is connected to each of the pivoted'plungers 23 and has secured thereto one end of a link 27, the other end of the link being pivoted at 28 to a plate 29 which in turn is pivoted at 30 to the slide 25. The pivotal movement of the plate 29 is limited by a pin 31 which is disposed in the slot 32 formed in the plate; The plunger is reciprocated by means of a lever 35 which ismounted on a fixed pivot at 36 and is reciprocated by a pitman 37 which is pivotally connected at 38 to the lever and has on its opposite end an eccentric strap 39 which surrounds an eccentric 40 mounted on a shaft 41. The oppositeend of the lever 35 is connected by a link to the plate 29, as shown at 46. It will be obvious that when the lever is swung in an anticlockwise direction the plate 29 will also be similarly swung tothe position shown in Fig. 4, wherein the plunger 23is swung upwardly on its pivot to clear the article or cake C which is disposed on the conveyor 17. After the lever 35 has reached its extreme movement toward the leftviewing Fig. 2 it will swing in a clockwise direction thereby causing the plunger 23 to be depressed to feeding position, as shown in Fig. 5.

Shaft 41 is driven by a chain mounted on a sprocket 51 carried by a shaft 52. This shaft also carries a sprocket 53 which is driven by a chain 54, the chain being driven by a sprocket 55 on the shaft 56 of a motor M. I

' The shaft 52 is geared, as shown at 57 and 58, to a shaft 60 which is connected the manner to the chamber73 and to a above described to a shaft 413 which is exactly similar to the shaft 41.

From the above description it will be evident that the cakes C are fed continuously by the conveyors 17 and that the plunger 23 will reciprocate and feed the cakes to the platforms 20. When one cake is being fed to the platform the next cake will be disposed beneath the plunger 23, as shown in Fig. 2, and on its retractive movement the plunger will be raised, as shown in Fig. 4, to clear the cake therebeneath. It will, fur,- thermore, be understood that as each cake is fed on the platform 20 it Will push ahead of it the cakes already on the platform.

Label feeding and impressing mechanism This mechanism is illustrated particularly in Figs. 3, 6, and 7. The labels are disposed in a vertical stack in a supply hopper 65, shown particularly in Fig. 7. The wall 66 of the hopper is disposed at its lower end in slightly spaced relation to a supporting table 67. Adjacent the hopper 65 there is mounted a block 68 in which is slidably mounted a plunger 69 having a head "70 at its lower end. The plunger is normally pressed upwardly by a spring 71-. An adjustable bolt or set screw 72 extends upwardly from the plunger.

The block 68 has a label receiving chamber 73 at the lower end thereof having a discharge opening 74 through which the label is fed by the plunger. The labels are fed into the chamber 73 over the opening 74 and into the path of the plunger 69 by means of a relatively thin strip 75 which is carried by a slide 76 reciprocatably mounted in a guideway 77 The slide 76 is reciprocated by a link .80 which is pivoted .to the slide at 81 and is actuated by a bell crank lever 82 mounted on a fixed pivot 83 and actuated by a link 84 having its lower end connected to a crank 85 carried by a shaft 86. The shaft 86 is driven by a bevel gear connection 87, 88 from the shaft 41.

It will be obvious that as the bell crank lever 82 reciprocates the slide 76 the plunger strip 75 will feed the labels one at a time from the hopper position above'the opening 74.

After the labels have been fed in the manner described they are discharged by the operation of the plunger 69. The plunger 69 is rec'iprocated by means of a bell crank lever 90 mounted on a fixed pivot 91 and having at one end a head 92 disposed above the plunger and at its opposite end being connected at 93 to a link 94 which has its opposite end connected to the pin 81.

As the slide 76 and pin 81 are reciprocated the" bell crank lever 90 will swing about its pivot 91 and it should be noted that the movement'of' this lever in an anticlockwise direction to actuate the plunger 69 takes place during the retractive movement of the slide 76 and label feeding strip 75. When the labels are impressed or placed onthecakes of soap they. are preferably forced below the upper surface of the cake, as shown in 1;: Fig. 7.

After the labels have been placed on the cakes the cakes are discharged by means of discharge plungers 95, illustrated in Fig. 3.

an eccentric on the shaft 86inthe same manner 7 This plunger is mounted on slide 96 similar to the slide 25 as the pitman 37. The cakes are discharged by the plungers on the discharge conveyors 18 and are conducted away from the machine by these conveyors,

From the foregoing description it will be clear that a simple, practical and eificient mechanism has been provided; for feeding articles to be labeled, positioning the articles to receive the labels and impressing the labels thereon.

Although one specific embodiment of the inventionhas been particularly shown and described, it will be understood that the invention is ca pable of modification and that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A machine of the character described comprising continuously operating means for feeding articles to be labeled, means for supporting a stack of labels, a reciprocatable blade engageable with the bottom, label in the stack for feeding the labels, one at a time, to a position adjacent the article to be labeled, and means for lmpressing the label on the article.

2. A machine of the character described comprising means for feeding articles to be labeled, reciprocating'means receiving the articles from the first named feeding means and arranged to 65 feed the articles to a position to receive the labels, means for feeding the labels, one at a time, to a position adjacent the article to be labeled, and means for impressing the label on the article.

3. A machine of the character described comprising reciprocatable article feeding .means, means for supporting a stack of labels, push means engageable with the edge of the bottom label in the stack for feeding the labels, one at 1 15 a time, to a position above the article to be labeled, and reciprocating means for stamping the label on the article. I V

4. A machine of the character described comprising reciprocatable article feeding .means, a stack of labels, reciprocatable means for feeding the labels, one at a time, toa position above the article to be labeled, and means for stamping the label on the article. s

5. Ina machine of the character described, means for feeding articles, a support for recei'ving the articles from the feeding means, means for feeding the articlesalong the support, means for'feedinglabels, one at a time, to a position above the articles and support, means for pressingrthelabels on the article,. means for di'scharging labeled articles from the machine andmeans for feeding the labeled articlesto said discharging means. f.

6. In a machine of the character described, means for feeding articles, a support for receiv-- ing the articles from the feeding means, reciprocatable means for feeding the articles along the support, means for 'feeding,. labels, one at a time; to a position above the articles andsupport, and 140 means for pressing the labelson the article.

7. In a machine of thechara'cter described, means for feeding'art'icles, a support forrec'eiving the articles from the feeding means, means for feeding the articles along the support, means for feedinglabels, one at a'time, to'a position" above the articles and support, and meansincluding a reciprocatable plunger for pressing the labels on the article.

JOHN VAN BUREN. w 

